I allowed most of the hands ashore for the day, and detailed a party to install a portable wireless receiving apparatus which Mr. Rogers, the missionary, had brought from Cape Town. One of the masts for the aerials broke whilst being erected, and the pieces fell amongst a crowd of islanders who had gathered to watch proceedings, causing them to scamper wildly in all directions. Mr. Rogers told me that he had not learned the code, and as there are several mechanical details to be mastered it is doubtful if the apparatus is likely to be of great value. I was up before daybreak on May 25th, to find that the wind had come round to the west and a strong swell had started to run into the anchorage. I saw that the sooner we were off the better, and blew the steam whistle for the recall of those who had spent the night ashore. When I had told Glass on our arrival that I would be able to leave a considerable amount of general supplies for the islanders, he had said that he did not think they had stock enough on the island to pay for it. When I replied that I did not require any payment, he was most agreeably surprised, and promised to send us two or three good sheep and some fresh potatoes. I had also asked for a number of geese and poultry with the idea of placing them on Gough Island in the hope that they would settle there and breed. The blowing of the steam whistle caused the most marked excitement amongst the islanders, who came rushing to their boats, which they launched, and, having rowed out to us, crowded aboard in dozens. Immediately there was a noise like babel let loose. Many of them approached Bob Glass, saying: “Can’t you get nothing more out of them, Bob?” As I had emptied the holds and stripped the ship of everything I could spare, and in the name of Mr. Rowett given all the relief I could to these people, I was not very well pleased at their attitude. On my asking for the sheep and potatoes and the live stock for Gough Island they suddenly remembered that they owed us something in return, and dragged up from the bottom of the boat what looked for all the world like two large and skinny rabbits. They proved to be sheep, the most miserable creatures I had ever set eyes on. They dumped aboard also two bags of potatoes which in size resembled marbles and some very indifferent-looking geese and poultry. They seemed to lose all restraint and begged for anything which caught their eye or their fancy, each man trying to get in his request before his neighbour or endeavouring to overshout him. There were no longer any requests on behalf of the community, each man trying to scrounge what he could for himself. A boatload containing some of the steadier men brought off six bags of mail, six bales of feathers and about nine bags of potatoes. These were dumped over our rail, and when I sent Macklin to find out what it was they had put aboard, they replied that they were parcels which they wished delivered to their friends in Cape Town who